Should the whole family eat the same thing for dinner?

While I don't advocate that Mom or Dad become a short-order cook, I don't think it hurts to serve your children one thing while you and your partner eat something else. A great way to make sure that everyone at the table is happy at mealtime is to have a variety of foods on the dinner table – and make sure the menu includes at least one or two foods that you know your children like.

Here are some other things to keep in mind as you plan dinner:

Cut out criticisms.

Try not to criticize your kids about what they are or are not eating. If you do, sitting down together to eat won't be a positive experience for them, and they're less likely to eat. Always offer a range of healthy foods to choose from, and then let your children decide what they're going to put on their plate and eat. This contributes to an overall positive experience when you eat meals together.

Check your serving sizes.

Adult-sized portions can be overwhelming for children and make them not want to eat. Instead, offer about one tablespoon of food for each year of your child's age. Following this guideline, a 3-year-old needs only three tablespoons of mashed potatoes on the plate.

Pass the veggies.

A Harvard Medical School study showed that children who regularly had meals with their family ate more fruits and vegetables per day than kids who ate alone. Most ate at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. So if you want your children to eat more healthy fare, serve it up and then sit down with them.

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